Building Healthy Communities and Fighting for Green Jobs

As we move forward in today’s economy, it’s essential to understand what are the energy resources that are available to our community in order to make it sustainable. We also need to invest in creating jobs right here in Michigan instead of paying billions of dollars to outsource elsewhere. If we invest in creating more sustainable energy practices, we’ll also create more Green jobs. Our everyday consumption of energy would ultimately become the sustainable way of living and working in our communities if we support this initiative.

Michigan utilizes a broad range of traditional energy sources, most notably: coal, nuclear, and natural gas. Renewable energies consist of solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass. Coal is a nonrenewable source of energy. Michigan has no active coal mining and imports most of its coal from Wyoming. There are currently 14 major coal power plants in the state.Yet, 61% of the state’s electricity comes from coal. Michigan is the 7th highest net importer of Coal in the US, spending approximately $1.4 billion on coal in 2008.

I believe that all citizens in the State of Michigan should also support 25 by 2025, so we can build healthier and more sustainable communities for our state. This means more jobs, business opportunities, and better health.